Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

"Uhm, why is everyone looking at us funny?Could it be because we're in the Westward Ho?

And thus begins my very first Trip Report! Which is very, very long so I hope you'll stay with me.

The theme song that seemed to follow us around the damn place was Gwen Stefaniâ€™s â€œRich Girlâ€ â€“ which seemed apt, cause in Vegas we did our best to live the life of some funky dressed femme with an unlimited credit card limit! Well, the female members of our party did, at least.

Woke up at some god-awful hour to some god-awful snow. I think I got one hour sleep as we had the grand idea of inviting over some friends to say goodbye and meet Ozzy and Sharon. The two had been visiting us for four days already, so our vacation had begun long before that and my liver was all revved up.

US Airways via Charlotte to Sin City. Sounds worse than it was. These tasty chicken ranch sandwiches kept us going in Charlotte. Pilot pointed out the Grand Canyon from the cockpit â€“ all I saw was nothing but vast, uhm, nothing. Probably on wrong side of plane. Hubby and I got really annoyed at slow oldish people who took forever to get their bags down from compartments. Actually let me correct that â€“ anyone who we were waiting behind while they took out their Xantax and Massengil from their luggage. Sheesh!

Loved the airport â€“ although Yogi got on my nerves. Waited forever for baggage and was literally bouncing off the walls. Yep, it wasnâ€™t my own restful personality keeping me going, it was pure adrenaline! Got word from Sunny that she woke up late and missed her flight â€“ but not to fret, she was flying out of Chicago momentarily. No line-ups for cabs, the four of us oooohed and ahhhed over the smallest little detail. But fooled Mr. Cabby into thinking we were regular visitors â€“ told him not to take the tunnel! Ha!

Got to Paris â€“ purty enough, but something about the place kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I wasnâ€™t feeling to confident about the $20 trick â€“ proved I was right, as the guy totally didnâ€™t buy it. Oh well â€“ I just really wanted some crepes. Rooms were pretty nice â€“ I would say exceptional, but not after our next hotel (more later). Literally threw our bags in the room and ran down to catch the champagne buffet. Felt terrible cause adrenaline once again kept my appetite at bay. So much wonderful stuff yet all I ate was crepes and potatoes. This girl does not fear carbs! Hubby had five plates of fish alone as he still says heâ€™s a growing boy! I think we had four glasses of champers each, great way to begin the early evening. But we knew to long haul our first night we had to take a quick nap. Tried to chill out for a bit, but my phone kept buzzing and I was in this dream-like state, in my own little Utopia. My phone was going off for a reason â€“ Sunny had arrived and was trying to figure out which room we were in! Eventually a call to our room roused us from our slumber â€“ felt terrible that she was waiting while we cat-napped, but she forgave us when we grabbed her and threw her on our bed and mauled her like a Mirage tiger. Weâ€™re just so darn thrilled to see her, as itâ€™s only once or twice a year that we get to hang!

Called VegasHost, who kindly put us on the guest list for Body English later on. The Brits fagged out on us though, and declined. Everyone got ready and met for a drink in the lounge beside the elevators. Had some Red Bull martini that was damn good. Had a few more drinks actually, couldnâ€™t tell you what they were. Although I noticed the service at the Paris lounge was hit and miss â€“ some gals were downright rude to the Brits in our party cause they couldnâ€™t understand their accents. Which caused us to quip â€œFrench indeed!â€ Walked around the Strip â€“ Sunny and I kept getting loads of looks. Whether they were admiration or disgust, weâ€™re not too sure. But one man in Paris leered â€œBellissimoâ€ and Sunny told him he was in the wrong hotel and the Venetian was down the street! LOL! Sunny is quite the lovely and stylish lady â€“ all polyester and prints, while my style is more Lethal Lolita, as Sunny dubs it. I donâ€™t know why we expected people to be more dressed up but so many people were really casual I guess thatâ€™s why we stood out. Ozzy and Sharonâ€™s jet lag got the best of them, so they retired. That left Buck, Sunny and myself to discover the wonders of the Strip.

Headed over to Caesars â€“ at that point, Buck too decided he wanted to chill and not wander either so it was just the gals. And really - being an old married lady - once my hubby left my company I felt like the Strip was my oyster and I was the hot sauce to go along with it. Not like I was looking for action, itâ€™s just that the attention paid to us was nice to get after being â€œoff the sceneâ€ for so long. We walked by a few of CPâ€™s bars, not really interested since we were trying to get through a mammoth frozen cocktail. A big burly bouncer guy approached us â€“ wanted us to come into Pure later and gave us VIP passes and whatnot. We were certainly intrigued. Ended up at the lovely Bellagio â€“ lots of eye candy for both sexes. Ended up with a patio table at the Fontana Lounge â€“ one of my fave moments of the trip. Just sitting my gal pal sharing cocktails and being awed by the fountains. This was the moment I realized that I was completely enamoured, Vegas style.

By that time it was time to grab a cab to the Hard Rock â€“ now hereâ€™s a place were we definitely fit in. In fact some gal went absolutely apeshit over Sunnyâ€™s sexy heels (picture in the slide show to come) and we knew things were about to get more insane. Thanks to the generous VegasHost we waltzed into Body English. Greeted and thanked the Host with a few drinks and then soaked up the scene. I expected a certain amount of pretension but the vibe was groovy â€“ everyone was very friendly and having a gay old time. Sunny and I met some truly great people â€“ and we didnâ€™t have to pay for any drinks! A free drink always comes with a price of sorts, but these were just generally friendly and generously fun people. We meet a lovely guy from LA and enjoyed his company so much that we headed back later to his room at the Luxor to hang. Thumbs down to the hotel â€“ the room or hotel didnâ€™t grab me, but it didnâ€™t matter as we had fine company! Sunny and our new friend exchanged numbers and we literally walked on air to a cab back to Paris near dawn â€“ realizing that I had endured jet lag and lack of sleep to have a fabulous evening!

Monday, March 7

Did I mention that this weekâ€™s weather was the best Iâ€™ve ever experienced?! Seriously man, it was just perfect. Hot, but not hot enough to require a bucket of Soft Nâ€™ Dry. Hot enough for us ladies to spend a lot of time poolside with a pina colada!

Heads ached a little as we headed over to Commanderâ€™s Palace for lunch. While at the club last night, Buck spent some cash on roulette with no reward and fell asleep at a decent hour â€“ until two drunken ladies crashed his slumber party!

Commanderâ€™s was totally dead, but we loved the Nawlins restaurant and knew we were in for a treat! Had their potato soup of the day and the Cobb salad â€“ the best salad Iâ€™ve ever had. The service was exceptional and amusing and the martinis were 25 cents â€“ you just cannot go wrong. So bummed I had no room for dessert â€“ this would be a trend throughout my whole trip, not enough sugar! The restaurant gave us proper wine glasses to take our martinis to go â€“ we thought they were nuts. What was even more wacko was the cab driver to the North Strip asked for our glasses â€“ opened his glove compartment and there were various glasses from drunken patrons! So here ya go, buddy!

Up to the Stratosphere , we were buzzed enough to tackle those crazy rides. Wasnâ€™t overly scared, more frightened by looking over the side and the tower shaking when the coaster went by. My favourite was the Big Shot â€“ because we didnâ€™t realize they were going to catapult us so bloody soon! All enjoyed the rides, but especially the view of the mountains. There I vowed to someday go on a hike, but this trip wasnâ€™t the time to do it. Went into a 7-11 for water and got asked to smoke crack â€“ no thanks dude, I got enough problems with the booze! Wandered to the coaster at the Sahara â€“ forgive my stupidity but when they said â€œSpeedâ€ I didnâ€™t know they meant it literally! We just shot out of that tower - kick ass and worth the cash! Took another cab to the Fashion Show Mall, as our feet were getting the best of us. Sunny bought a bunch of stuff in the Hello Kitty â€“ yes, I believe itâ€™s called Sanrio â€“ store. I went to Bath and Body Works for some smelly stuff, appropriately titled â€œSweetPeaâ€. Hubby looked like he was going to pass out without more beer so we booted and went across the street to the Venetian. Buck was foiled again when he realized that there was Sephora and more stores, so he begged that we walk back to Paris. Good thing for him as there werenâ€™t any free makeovers at the time!

Had a couple of hours before we were going to meet with the Osbournes for dinner. So Sunny and I decided to spent our time having our hair done at the Paris salon! So far, service at Paris had been severely lacking but I found our hairdressers to be fantastic and they shared wonderful Vegas gossip. We walked out happy that we wouldnâ€™t have to style our hair much for the end of our trip! After that, realized it was our last night in Paris so we shared a delicious crepe. Back to the room for more primping, as it takes about fifteen minutes for Buck and Sunny to zip up my knee-high boots, no joke! Met our family in the Paris lounge again for more alcoholic treats. Off to dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. Ate in the conservatory as the Brits thought it would be too cold on the patio â€“ pffft! Even if it was 20 degrees colder, itâ€™s still bikini weather for this Canuck! Lovely food, but again my excitement meant my only appetite was for a liquid diet. Did try the french onion soup and the roast chicken â€“ both wonderful. And again, no room for bloody dessert! I realized at this time with the type of meals they served in Vegas were turning me into a zombie. I guess Iâ€™m just not used to eating that much food. Weâ€™d start drinking in the afternoon, have a great buzz going and then BAM â€“ itâ€™s all gone with the food stuff! I vowed not to eat as much the next night because by that point all I wanted a nap. Must be because I just turned the Dirty 30 and I notice I donâ€™t have the energy I used to.

Hubby wanted to see the Bellagio since we talked about our visit last night. Sunny and I were wondering if weâ€™d make the Foundation Room at MB and that was looking less and less likely with the later hour. Before we took off, Sharon wanted to show me the $10 for everything store in Ballyâ€™s, which was closed of course. But man, that casino was sure lively! I loved the middle-aged people getting down in the lounges and the sound of laughter throughout the whole casino. To keep our boys waiting while they gambled we ended up doing some drinks and shots in the Tequila Bar. Yummy! Made mental note of their Happy Hour. The Osbournes took off again and we ended up across the street in the B playing some slots, and one hand of blackjack to bet for my Dad. The slots werenâ€™t tight, won a bit but wasted it all cause I was digging the cocktail service. Played $20 on the roulette wheel for the first time and got the initial cravings. Told Buck weâ€™d have to find a low minimum place to wet my appetite. Line-up at the Fontana Bar too long, so we attempted to go to the Polo Towers. The lounge closed at 1am and we had arrived well after. Walked back to the street to hail a cab to check out the Peppermill. Except in my drunken haze that I forgot it was on the other end of the Strip. The only two shitty cabbies in the city kept begging us to go to a strip club so they can get their kick-backs. I declined to piss them off, even though we were tempted. Sunnyâ€™s feet were hurtinâ€™ and I wasnâ€™t in the mood to try the Foundation Room so we called it a night.

Tuesday, March 8

Got up before noon to pack and head over to THEhotel at MB â€“ we had some idea of what we were getting, so v. v excited. The Osbournes were staying at Paris for the week so we made plans to meet at the Palms later. Us gals had booked ourselves in for an afternoon at the MB spa as weâ€™re certified â€œPamper Whoresâ€.

On the way to MB, I demanded we go through the In Nâ€™ Out drive-thru for some lunch. Thank god for another wonderful cabbie, who sold Sunny and Buck on the wonders of their burgers. I just had to wrap my lips around one of those things and none of us were disappointed! Adios Burger Thing and McDâ€™s, nice knowing ya! How you South Westerners can drive past one and not eat it for lunch every day is beyond me, you lucky bastards! Got to the hotel and once again caught flies with our open mouths. Kindly asked reception for a good view and they obliged â€“ now that is what you call service! If we were catching flies with our mouths before, upon arriving at our suite we were catching birds. Holy mofo â€“ we were only a few floors below Mix and you can only imagine what awaited outside our windows! The whole Strip in all itâ€™s glory. The suite and view were so sweet I was tempted to weep out of pure giddiness. The tub could fit three people, there were plasma TVs everywhere and the wet bar just kicked ass. We were sorry we didnâ€™t buy some duty free to fix some drinks or booked our whole stay there. Did the obligatory jump on the beds and how many can fit in our tub routine then got changed to run to the spa. Told Buck weâ€™d meet him by the pool after our treatments.

We really didnâ€™t mind the walk to the pool/spa area from THEhotel as weâ€™re fast walkinâ€™ ladies and we mastered the art of dodging the slower strolling guests. I had a great deep tissue massage which wasnâ€™t so deep after all â€“ my therapist couldnâ€™t get past the upper level of my back muscles without me yipping like Old Yeller. Said I have to work on my pain threshold to get to the deeper muscles. I was pretty grateful as some gal in the hot tub later told me after her last deep tissue she couldnâ€™t walk for days! Lovely facial too that got to grips with my winter dry skin. Ran over to the pool area by later afternoon and again, the birds in our mouths were eating flies. BEST BEACH/POOL EVER! Had fun ending up flat on my back at the shallow end of the wave pool with each wave. Was a bit slow and relaxed from my treatments so it took me forever to fight the current in the lazy river ride and get the hell out of there. Not that I minded, again it was one of those moments you just wanted to savour for as long as possible! Ran up to the suite to get all girly for another night out. This time, our trio was to sample the MB nightlife, then the Palms.

Got up to Mix in time for sunset â€“ love this place! Great service, lovely and pricey drinks and the best place to sit and enjoy a full Strip view. Since we were celebrating Sunnyâ€™s upcoming birthday that night, we got some free drinks which we werenâ€™t expecting, very nice gesture. Ran downstairs to Rumjungle for my fave cocktails of the trip. And as a tip â€“ if you want to get really loopy, they do rum flights (five for $20), which are full shot samplers of various rums. After that, the three of us were so wasted we had to beg the waitress to bring us over some carbs as our stomachs starting cramping from lack of food! Fortunately, our waitress here was top-notch and took really good care of us. We spent a hell of a lot on tips this trip when they were deserved â€“ which unfortunately was often! Ran next door to Red Square as Sunny and Buck wanted some caviar â€“ I just wanted more alcohol, as I had some bread rolls to settle my stomach. Wanted to do a vodka flight but looked at our watch and shit â€“ it was almost 9pm, when we had reservations at the N9NE steakhouse at Palms! Iâ€™ve never seen two people down caviar the way those two did â€“ the Russians would be proud! Hoped into a cab and miraculously arrived just five minutes late for our reservation. Sunny being very drunk asked the cabbie sarcastically if his car was a mini-van and he replied that it was really a Porsche. The way he drove, it certainly was as Sunny quipped â€œGo on your bad self, cabbie bitch!â€

The Palms itself didnâ€™t impress me but I liked the vibe in the restaurant. We again made the mistake of ordering a ridiculous amount of food that no human could consume. The appetizers were lovely (there were raves about the sushi and I loved my Caesar salad) and the steak was to die for â€“ it melted in my mouth like butta! I also loved the fries and the gorgeous gnocchi side dishes. We had a right laugh at our table, and since I suppose we spent so bloody much on food and beverages our server asked if we would like to go up to the Ghostbar. Of course we nodded in consent and padded the bill a lot more to say thanks for getting us up there. He showed us the way to the elevator and there really wasnâ€™t many in line. However, this moment in our trip turned out to be the one that really pissed us all off. I happened to see our waiter motion to the doorman that we could go up right away â€“ but it also meant we were still stuck with the cover charge. And it was certainly implied to us at our table that we would get free access to the bar, which is why we padded his bill so generously and well over the required gratuity. Hell, we could have waited ourselves and got up there at the same amount of time! I guess we learned our lesson not to be that generous with some people till we know the real deal. Anyhoo, we got up there to a very crowded bar that wasnâ€™t exceptional in any way. The view again was great, but weâ€™d just been to Mix which I felt was the ideal way to see the Strip at large. Had a few drinks, but our trio was unimpressed by the vibe and crowd. By that point, Sunny was so off her rocker that she happened to â€œaccidentallyâ€ give out her business card to a few guys, who proceeded to call her at all hours for the remainder of our trip! Oops! The most entertaining moment was watching a copper chopper circle around looking for something or someone â€“ that was cool! At around 1am, we decided to bail back to MB. Wanted to go to Pure, but wasnâ€™t sure if it was open on Tuesday. In my booze haze we should have checked those passes we got, as we would have discovered that it was indeed open â€“ rats! Got back to MB around 2am and with our food binge decided to take a â€œnapâ€, and go out a bit later. Stoopid idea! The three of us did this in Nawlins and thatâ€™s right â€“ we slept right through to the next morning, in our make-up and clothes! Damnit!

NYNY was as wacky as I thought it would be. We happened to pass by the drink shop in front of Coyote Ugly just as it was opening, so we stopped by for some heavy duty Octane/Hurricane concoction. If we were going to ride that coaster, it was going to be with a damn good buzz! The gal at the Ugly was quite funny and padded the drink with some heavy duty vodka. We meandered through the streetscape and didnâ€™t want to repeat our Rumjungle experience so we filled our stomachs with a nice slice of pizza for breakfast. Very tasty, but not as good as the real deal. Up to the coaster which was a load of fun â€“ I still think the Sahara is my fave as your stomach immediately goes up your throat. But all the rides in Vegas were worth the cash.

Saw Nine Fine Irishmen and laughed because it was way too nice to be a real pub. Buck couldnâ€™t stomach at Guinness at that time in the morning, which cause me to stare at him like he was mad. Over to the MGM Grand, just a walk through the front cause Sunny told us the place was huge and uninteresting, so we headed over to the Tropicana. Caught half the bird show which was cute, but we have our own show at home with Herbie, our Senegal parrot whoâ€™s much more entertaining. Killed some time on some slots that werenâ€™t all that loose and I was dying for some water â€“ or any drink â€“ and no service to be found for the half hour or so we were there. Back to the hotel so Sunny could get ready to pack. Suddenly dawned on us that our trip was coming to end, even though we had a day and a half left. Sunny is the life of the party and I only get small doses with my gal and it always saddens me. Embarrassed the hell of myself with my goofy gestures and emotional spazzisms saying goodbye to her in her cab to the airport. Walked upstairs to the suite feeling a like a part of me was missing.

Buck and I decided to fit in a few things before hooking up with the Osbournes that evening. He wanted to do some more slots while I was craving another In Nâ€™ Out. So off I went again with another lovely cab driver through the drive-thru and we shared our lunch together. Very cute. Hubby was back in the suite when I returned (obviously wasnâ€™t a lucrative session) and we decided to check out Shark Reef and the beach/pool area, as it would be our last chance to do so before we checked out the next morning. It was a nice way to kill an hour or two â€“ loved the jelly fish tank and the piranhas (just missed them being fed!) and the shark tank was impressive. Before we lost the direct sun, grabbed a few chairs by the pool and I spent another enjoyable hour being whipped on my ass by the wave pool. Up to the suite again for a nice long CNN-viewing party in our bathtub and then got ready to welcome to the Osbournes to our corner of the South Strip. They were very impressed with our accommodations. Wanted to show them Mix and the view â€“ but talk about a completely different experience! The servers (not the same as the night before) totally ignored us for the 10 minutes we sat there. So we took off. Made our way downstairs to check out the restaurant area for dinner. While Buck and I leaned very heavily toward Aureole, since they were our guests they suggested Red, White & Blue. What a mistake! The service was lousy, the waiter was really put off by our groupâ€™s accents and looked like he rather have an enema than serve us. The food was mediocre at best â€“ terrible French onion soup and a lousy grilled cheese sandwich. Pina colada was as sour as a margarita. How the hell can you screw up grilled cheese?! They used the wrong kind of cheese and didnâ€™t butter the outside so it was crisp. Man, I was about ready to take a pack of Kraft singles and whack their chef over the head! Very disappointed and I nearly cried when we left the restaurant knowing we could have ate in one of the best places in Vegas. Wah!

For some reason the Osbournes didnâ€™t like the smell of Rumjungle (must be the sulphur of the water) so we ended up in the Orchid lounge near the hotel entrance. Sunnyâ€™s ex is part of an occasional musical act there and she told me the rivalry between all the acts is pretty intense. So we watched a great soul/funk trio called â€œNouveauâ€ that Buck loved. Heâ€™s such a 70s fan and had me throwing out requests. They were so great (and in honour of being the rivals of Sunnyâ€™s ex) I threw some cash in their glass. Had a brief conversation with one of the band members about my musical tastes and he shocked me with how well versed he was in my fave bands. Very groovy guy. Loved the ballsy cocktail waitress who when I paid for the first round said â€œYou keep tipping there girlâ€ as I was surrounded by Brits! Ha!

Boys wanted to gamble so off to the roulette table. Where we lost yet again! We had decided earlier to check out the Purple Reign show at the Boardwalk as Sunny highly recommended it. Our cabbie didnâ€™t seem happy to take us there â€“ kept muttering â€œI hate that casinoâ€. We didnâ€™t care. It was certainly worth the visit. The man and his band were nothing short of the real thing â€“ we all loved the show! Noticed the low limit on the tables, so sat down in front of the roulette wheel again. Regardless of the surroundings, we really enjoyed ourselves and got to know the game a bit better. It took us a while to lose just $20 with $2 minimum, and we got steady stiff drinks in the process so it was all good. For any new player I would highly recommend the casinos with the low minimum to learn the games â€“ next time I vowed to take proper lessons as I was getting the gambling bug so late in the trip. It was into the early hours that Buck and I decided to grab a cab back to ours, and skip any other excursions because at this point we were thoroughly exhausted. As much as I was sad that Sunny left us, we found the day we spent together to be very romantic â€“ something I wasnâ€™t expecting of Sin City!

Thursday, March 9

Our last day in Vegas weighed heavily on my heart. I didnâ€™t expect to be so sad, but we still had a fun day to enjoy before our flight departed at 11pm.

We spent the morning packing to bring our luggage to the Osbourneâ€™s room at Paris. I think we tried to leave the suite a few times before running back to the window and taking in that view one last time. It was then we decided to never stay anywhere else but THEhotel. It was more than exceptional and the glowing reviews of the place are right on the mark. Hell, maybe weâ€™ll try Wynn at some point, but THEhotel will continue to be our home away from home. We did enjoy though staying at both ends of the Strip, which allowed us to explore both areas with ease.

Stored our luggage with the Osbournes at Paris and once again passed out on their bed for a half hour before being roused by Buck to stroll the Strip for one last time. Did a full walk of the Forum Shops and decided to come back to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner â€“ this time I was determined to have some sugar later! Up to the Mirage, where we took in the Dolphin/Cat habitat. Buck wondered if they had the tiger mauler still in his cage but we didnâ€™t seem him. But the lions and tigers were huge and a little too close for my comfort. The dolphins were adorable and it took all my power not to reach into the tanks and pet them. Took the tram to TI, as itâ€™s now called. I think this was the casino that most impressed me â€“ looks a hell of a lot nicer and trendy than the outside. It seems they are going after the Palms and Hard Rock crowd for the Strip. Sat on the outside patio at Tangerine for some very tasty cocktails. A really lovely place for a drink to take in the Strip. Got a colada to go and at that point realized I was starting to get real buzzed and was getting on a plane later â€“ figured the Cheesecake Factory would fix that. Wandered the shops of the Venetian and saw what a rip-off the gondola rides were. Just take the walk we did, and youâ€™ll see everything for free! Hopped back over to TI for the Sirenâ€™s show. The best free T&A youâ€™ll get on the Strip. Fun, but a bit like Velveeta. Saw the Mirage volcano erupt â€“ whoop-dee-doo! My Dad told me it was the most impressive thing on the Strip the last time he was there years ago â€“ my how things change!

Waited for a table at the Cheesecake Factory for 40 minutes. The starters and mains were so appealing we thought the Hell and order one of each. I had the mini burgers and the crusted chicken. The former was great, the latter not so much. If we had more time to eat maybe I would have enjoyed it more. Took the cheesecake to go as we didnâ€™t have time to sit further â€“ had to boot it to Paris for one last drink with the Osbournes before heading to the airport. Sadly sat and downed our last drink, for me my last Red Bull and vodka. Said our very mournful goodbyes to our family and got into a cab. Tried to hold on to every last view of the Strip before saying goodbye for the meantime. The flight was overnight, not too bad but the three hours I slept on the floor waiting for our connecting flight back home was terrible. Literally spent 12 hours travelling â€“ we could have gone back to the UK in the same time period. Swore to fly direct next time.

And there will certainly be a next time! We felt we only scratched the surface about what this wicked and wonderful place has to offer so we shall be back. It not only met my expectations â€“ it surpassed them! Iâ€™m glad Iâ€™m no longer a Vegas Virgin and that I lost my virginity in such a pleasurable way!

On my to do list for the next visit:

-Gaming lessons
-Downtown
-More time to shop, including the outlets
-Renting a car to the desert, Canyon, Hoover and Lake Mead
-Discovering the many other fabulous establishments Sin City has to offer!

Other observations:

Itâ€™s astounding how far removed you are from the real world, in your own little Vegas bubble. When we got ready to go out weâ€™d put CNN on the plasma TV in our bathroom and all we got was the MJ trial. Got back home to discover four Mounties killed in the line of duty and thousands getting royally screwed by one of our airlines going belly up! All those Vegas (and other) travellers really have my sympathy, I just read about a womanâ€™s Vegas wedding being totally ruined!

What I also adored about Vegas is how easy it is to meet people â€“ in the elevators, the pool (I held onto another friendly gal in the MB lazy river ride), the bathrooms just everywhere. The trio got a lot of attention because of three accents â€“ one Canuck, one NashVegas and one Brit. The most posed question was â€œHow the hell do you know each other?â€

Budget â€“ we blew around $300 a day for two, approximately $50 on gambling.

Best Drink Service â€“ Bellagio and BoardwalkWorst Drink Service â€“ Paris and FlamingoNicest Loos â€“ NYNY, Bellagio, Body English, the best â€“ THEhotel at MBBest Smelling Casinos â€“ Venetian and Mandalay BayBest Cocktail Uniforms â€“ Bellagio, Caesars and Mix. Otherwise, they were just fugly and embarrassing! The WHY Award â€“ With all these self-flushing toilets, why the hell was there crap in every bowl I attempted to place my sweet fanny?Strangest Store Window â€“ a London clothing store at the Forum Shops that had charactures of all famous British comics. Hubby and I stayed in front trying to name them all for a half hour! The Piss Off Award â€“ the MB elevators and their constant pimping of Josh Grobanâ€™s upcoming show. I felt like that epileptic person who had seizures every time Mary Hart was on TV. Favourite Sound The final "whoosh" sound of the Bellagio fountainsThe Hero Award â€“ Vegas cabbies are the shit. I could have spent hours bending their ears. I donâ€™t think Iâ€™ll ever rent a car in Vegas â€“ itâ€™s too much fun just to hear their stories and tips. They made our trip!

Itâ€™s astounding how far removed you are from the real world, in your own little Vegas bubble.

Click to expand...

this is so true. the tsunami hit during my last trip. my sister watches television in vegas, i do not. so one night when she had her own room, she told me 10,000 people died (this was obviously before the number went up drastically) and i honestly thought she had the number completely wrong. it went in one ear and out the other. on the plane home though - i watched cnn. wow. all that was going on and i had NO CLUE about it.

Great report and really great pics! I need to get myself a digital camera. I have a question though, where is Commanders Palace and do they really have 25 cent martini's??!! Sign me up!!! What time do they have them?